27 jan

The Russian air grouping in Syria carried out 169 sorties and hit over 484 terrorist targets in the last three days, the Russian General Staff reported on January 25. 18 combat sorties were carried out by Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire strategic bombers. Since the Russian airstrike began in September 30, 2015 in Syria, the Russian warplanes made nearly 6000 sorties destroying significant terrorist positions and their assets.

Two Turkish journalists face life in prison over a story alleging that the Turkish government was arming Islamist militants in Syria.
Cumhuriyet newspaper’s editor-in-chief Can Dundar and its Ankara representative Erdem Gul have been charged with espionage.
Prosecutors accuse them of working with a US-based cleric to discredit the government.
The harsh punishment being sought has intensified press freedom concerns.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said he was ”shocked” at the severity of the sentence sought by prosecutors.
Human Rights Watch said the two ”were doing their job as journalists and no more than that”.
In its report last May, Cumhuriyet published video of police finding weapons in trucks that it said were linked to Turkish intelligence.